We provide an overview of diapriid wasps associated with ants in Argentina and the diversity of interactions they have developed with their hosts. As a result, we report 16 species of nine genera of Diapriinae, two new geographic distributions, three new association records, illustrations, and photographs. We highlight myrmecophile symphylic species, with a high degree of integration with the host ants, adaptation being morphological and behavioral. A table with diapriid species and ant hosts is given.
Diapriids are primary endoparasitoids of larvae-pupae or pupae, principally of dipterans, but a number of species are closely associated with ant nests. However, there are few behavioral data on host-diapriid myrmecophile interactions. Huggert and Masner [
The current knowledge indicates that only a few diapriids are parasitoids of ant brood, attacking as solitary or gregarious koinobiont endoparasitoids of the host larvae, and worker and/or reproductive immature stages can be parasitized. From 121 diapriine species in 34 genera that had been collected in association with ants, development of immature stages as parasitoids of ant larvae has been demonstrated for only 26 species in seven genera, most of which are only known at the level of morphospecies [
A large number of diapriine wasps became associated with various groups of ants in Central and South America. The associations are especially well developed with army ants (Ecitonini) and leaf cutting ants (Attini) with some 20 genera of Diapriinae already involved [
The New World fungus-growing ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Attini) are especially diverse in the tropics. As true for the most social insects, they accumulate significant stores of resources within their nests, attracting a diverse array of predators, microbial pathogens, and parasites [
In Argentina, the study of myrmecophiles has attracted the attention of several scientists in the last two centuries. Carlos Bruch (1869–1943), a German naturalist selected by F. Moreno—first Director of Museo de La Plata—to organize its collections, was a pioneer of the entomological studies; it is important to remark his ability as a photographer and scientific illustrator, and his observations regarding special associations and behaviors of ants and beetles: termitophily and myrmecophily [
In this paper, we provide an overview of the diversity of diapriid wasps associated with ants in Argentina and the diversity of interactions they have developed with their hosts.
Specimens for this study were reared in laboratory [
Sharkey [
Diapriid and ant specimens examined in this study are deposited at Museo de La Plata (Buenos Aires, Argentina). Most of them were collected and determined by Bruch and Ogloblin in Argentina. Type material of
Biology Section includes “hosts” wasps emerged from ant larvae or “associated” wasps found in or near nests or emigration columns of army ants.
Tropical lowlands of Central and South America [
Associated with ecitonini ants of genus
Members of
(a)
Argentina (Córdoba, Entre Ríos, and Santa Fe) [
Associated with
Syntype, female, dealated, with
The genus is well represented in North and South America, rarely in Chile [
Several species were reared from various dipterous hosts, and some were collected in ant nests [
One female and 1 male (microscopic slide) collected with the “Argentine ant,”
Associated with
Female and male studied were determined by Masner, who wrote a label: “
Associated with ecitonini and attini ants [
Three Neotropical species were described associated with ants [
Argentina (Buenos Aires and Misiones) [
Associated with ecitonini ants,
Two females alated, Argentina, Misiones, Loreto, 20-X-1919 and 18-IX-1923, Ogloblin coll. and det.
(a)
Argentina (Buenos Aires; Misiones, new record) [
Associated with attini ants
One female, Argentina, Buenos Aires, La Plata, VIII, inside a nest of
Restricted to lowland rainforests of continental South America [
Members of
Argentina (Córdoba) [
Associated with
Loiácono [
Original illustration of
Argentina (Córdoba, Salta, San Luis, and Santiago del Estero) [
Associated with Eciton dulcium Forel and
Syntype, female dealated, collected with
Bruch always sent to Kieffer diapriid samples to be studied. As we mentioned, he was an excellent scientific illustrator (Figure
We observed numerous both alate and dealate individuals found dependent on the phase of life. As is mentioned [
Lachaud [
Wide distribution from Argentina to Guatemala [
(a)
Argentina (La Pampa) [
Koinobiont and gregarious endoparasitoids of late instar larvae of
Holotype female, Argentina, Santa Rosa, 8-XI-1995, Quirán and Corró Molas colls.; 25 paratypes females and 3 males, Lihuel Calel, 4-XII-1997, Quirán and Corró Molas colls.
Argentina (Salta and Tucumán) [
Associated with
One female, Argentina, Salta, 2-6-II-1950, Golbach coll.
Argentina (Córdoba) (new record).
Female and 3 males with an ecitonine ant, Argentina, Córdoba, San Javier, La Paz, 1-20-I-1929, Bruch coll.
Most females of this genus have 11-segmented antennae, but material studied here presents antenna 12-segmented as mentioned by Masner and García [
Worldwide [
Associated with the “fire ant,”
Argentina (La Pampa) [
Reared from larvae of
Holotype female, Argentina, La Pampa, Utracán, 22-XII-1997, Caramuti y Rodriguez colls.; paratypes 68 females and 43 males (MLP), same data as holotype.
Argentina (Buenos Aires) [
Associated with
Argentina Buenos Aires.
Collected with the “argentine ant,”
Female collected with
Masner studied this material and determined specimens as
Argentina (Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Misiones) [
Associated with ants of the genera
Hölldobler and Wilson [
(a)
Argentina (Misiones, Córdoba and Buenos Aires) [
Associated with
One female dealated, Argentina, Misiones, Pastoreo Grande, 9-VII-1932, Ogloblin coll.; 1 female dealated, Argentina, Córdoba, XII-1920, Bruch coll., 1 female dealated, Córdoba, Sierras de Córdoba, La Granja, Bruch coll., without date; 1 male dealated, Argentina, Buenos Aires, without locality, 9-VII-1923, Bruch coll., with the ant; 4 females dealated, Argentina, Buenos Aires, Olivos, without date, Bruch coll., with the ant; 1 female dealated, Argentina, Buenos Aires, 10-IX-1925, Bruch coll.; 1 female dealated with
The specimens from the provinces of Córdoba and Buenos Aires are dealated, with remains of wings (Figures
Argentina (Córdoba) [
Associated with
Syntype male dealated, Argentina, Córdoba, Alta Gracia; 1-8-IV-1920, Bruch coll.
According to Kieffer's description, females of both species,
The genus is distributed in the New World [
The principal host plausible to assume is Stratiomyidae (Diptera) [
Argentina (Córdoba).
Associated with
Female collected with
America [
Primary parasitoidism solitary and gregarious of various Diptera; few species were reared from Coleoptera [
Argentina (Buenos Aires).
Associated with Solenopsidini ant.
Two females with a Solenopsidini ant, Argentina, Buenos Aires, 9-VIII-1923, Bruch coll.
Table
Diapriid tribe | Diapriids species | Argentine provinces | Ant subfamily | Ant tribe | Ant species |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Diapriini |
|
Córdoba, Entre Ríos, Santa Fe | Ecitoninae | Ecitonini |
|
|
Buenos Aires | Dolichoderinae | Dolichoderini |
|
|
|
Buenos Aires, Misiones | Ecitoninae | Ecitonini |
|
|
|
Buenos Aires, Misiones | Myrmicinae | Attini |
|
|
|
Córdoba | Ecitoninae | Ecitonini |
|
|
|
Córdoba, Salta, San Luis, Santiago del Estero | Ecitoninae | Ecitonini |
|
|
|
La Pampa | Myrmicinae | Attini |
|
|
|
Salta, Tucumán | Ecitoninae | Ecitonini |
|
|
|
Córdoba | Ecitoninae | Ecitonini | Ecitonini sp. | |
|
La Pampa | Myrmicinae | Attini |
|
|
|
Buenos Aires | Myrmicinae | Solenopsidini |
|
|
|
Buenos Aires | Dolichoderinae | Dolichoderini |
|
|
|
|||||
Spilomicrini |
|
Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Misiones | Myrmicinae |
Solenopsidini |
|
|
Córdoba | Myrmicinae | Solenopsidini |
|
|
|
Córdoba | Myrmicinae | Solenopsidini |
|
|
|
Buenos Aires | Myrmicinae | Solenopsidini | Solenopsidini sp. |
The knowledge of the biology and behavior of these myrmecophilic diapriids and the nature of their interactions with ants has progressed in Argentina since 1980 [
The study of Diapriidae Collection housed at División Entomología of Museo de La Plata, which includes Bruch and Ogloblin myrmecophilic diapriid specimens, allowed us to report 16 species of nine genera of Diapriinae associated with ants in Argentina. It is interesting to highlight that
We mentioned for the first time the associations between the “argentine ant,”
We considered that
The authors would like to thank Dr. J.-P. Lachaud for inviting them to participate in the Special Issue of Psyche, “Ants and Their Parasites 2013.” Special thanks go to Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) and Secretaría de Ciencia y Técnica de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP) for financial support, Dr. Carlos Margaría for his critical reading of the paper, and to reviewers for their suggestions.